Box hook



Sept. 15, 170 R. E. MAY 3,528,696

BOX HOOK Filed Sept. 19, 1968 INVENTOR.

ROLANID E MAY ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a box hook device. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for handling boxes of the type having a lid with a downwardly extending lip and for moving such boxes from or into a storage area above normal reach. The device includes an elongated vertical pole, a lower support arm and an upper support arm extending from the pole spaced from each other slightly more than the height of the boxes to be handled, and a hook member rotatably supported to the top of the pole below the upper support arm, the hook member having a U-shaped portion adaptable to engage the lip of the boxes to be handled whereby after the lip of the box is engaged the box may be moved into and out of storage position and the pole rotated to position the support arms above and below the box so that it can be raised or lowered as desired.

SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In most shoe stores it is required that shoe boxes be stored at heights which normally exceed the comfortable height of the average person. In order to provide access to the shoes it is necessary either to utilize a ladder or some extension arrangement for grasping the boxes. Ladders are a safety hazard and for this reason their use is not desired. Others have provided mechanical means for grasping the shoe boxes, however such devices have not been completely successful because of several factors,

including the relatively high expense of devices including complicated levers and linkages.

This invention provides a box hook device which is not only highly effective for grasping boxes for handling into or out of a high storage area, but is extremely simple and economical to construct.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved box hook device.

More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide a box hook device of ultimate simplicity, economy and effectiveness.

These and other more specific objects of the invention will be understood by referring to the description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the box hook device of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the box hook device of this invention shown in the position wherein a box is grasped for removing from or inserting into a storage area.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the box hook of this invention with the upper portion shown partially in cross-section as taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and showing the device as it is utilized to grasp a box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings and first to FIG. 1, the box hook device of this invention is shown. The device includes an elongated vertical pole 10 which may be of any length desired according to the maximum height of the storage area wherein boxes are to be stored. In

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the normal shoe store facilities a pole six to eight feet long is sufiicient. Aflixed to the pole 10 and extending perpendicularly from it is a lower fiat support arm 12. In the illustrated arrangement, as best shown in FIG. 3, the lower support arm 12 includes a downwardly ex tending leg portion 12A which is secured to the pole 10 by means of a screw 14.

Affixed to the upper end of pole 10 is an upper support arm 16. In the illustrated arrangement the upper arm 16 includes an integral downwardly extending leg portion 16A which is afiixed to pole 10 by means of screws 18.

The support arms 12 and 16 extend in the same plane of the axis of pole 10 and are parallel to and spaced apart from each other.

The distance between the arms 12 and 16 is equal to or just slightly greater than the height of the box 20' for which the box hook device is to be used.

The fourth basic element of the invention is a hook member 24 which includes a U-shaped portion 24A and an integral horizontal portion 248. The horizontal portion 24B has an opening 240 therein which receives a retainer member 26 which may be in the form of a nail or screw. The hook member 24 is rotatable about retainer member 26. In the arrangement shown the upper support arm 16 extends over the top of hook 24 and thereby permits it from escaping from retainer member 26. In another arrangement the retainer member 26 may include a head larger than opening 24C.

OPERATION When the user of the box hook device of this invention desires to remove a box which is stored in rows and layers of other boxes at a high elevation, he first turns the hook member 24 so that the U-shaped portion 24A extends perpendicularly to the support arms 12 and 16 as shown in dotted outline in FIG. 2. The U-shaped portion 24A may then be slid underneath the lip portion 22A of a box cover 22. The box may then be moved outwardly by outward movement on the pole 10. After the box has been moved outwardly relative to the other boxes with which it is stored, the pole 10- may be rotated so that the arms 12 and 16 extend above and below the box respectively as shown in FIG. 3. The hook member 24, being rotatable, retains its grasp on the lip 22A of the box lid as the pole is rotated. With the box in the position between the arms 12 and 16 and with the hook portion 24A grasping the box lid lip 24A as shown in FIG. 3 the box 20 may be pulled out of its storage position. The pole 10 can then be lowered to bring the box within the users grasp. To remove the box the user merely rotates pole 10 90 relative to the box thereby moving the arms 12 and 16 from engagement with the box.

When the user is ready to move the box back to its storage position the same sequence is repeated, that is, the hook member 24 is moved to 90 relative to arms 12 and 16 and the lip 22A of lid 22 is placed into the U-shaped portion 24A. The pole is then rotated placing the arms 12 and 16 below and above the box respectively. The box is then firmly grasped and can be moved to any high position by raising pole 10. When the box reaches the height at which it is to be stored the box can be pushed partially in position. When in partial position the pole can be rotated removing the arms 12 and 16 from engagement with the box and the box then can be pushed into its complete stored position.

It is well known that the pasteboard of which shoe boxes are commonly made is easily torn and for this reason the lips 22A of box covers 22 are frequently torn at the corners. Such damage to boxes does not impair the use of this invention since the U-shaped portion 24A of the hook member 24 grasps the lid lip 22A as well whether the lid lip is torn at the corners or not.

The invention provides a device which satisfies the stated objects, that is, the device is extremely simple and economical to manufacture and yet it is completely effective.

Many alternate embodiments of the invention may be made. For instance, the lower support arm 12 may be slidably afiixed to pole 10' so that the spacing between it and the upper support arm 16 may be easily and quickly varied to accommodate the device for boxes of various heights. The width and length of the box is not crucial and in this manner the device can easily be adapted to be used on boxes of any size as long as the box contains a lid providing a lip portion 22A.

While the invention has been described with a great degree of particularity it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the abstract herein, nor the summary, nor the specific embodiment which has been illustrated for purposes of exemplifying the inven tion, but the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.

What is claimed:

1. A box hook device for handling boxes from or into a storage area above normal reach, the device being for use with boxes such as normally used for enclosing shoes, that is, boxes of the rectangular, flat bottomed, opened top type and having a lid of the rectangular, flat top, opened bottom type which fits over the top of the box, the lid providing a downwardly extending lip around the upper portion of the box, the box hook comprising:

an elongated vertical pole;

at lower flat support arm aflixed to and extending perpendicularly from said pole near the upper end thereof,

an upper fiat support arm affixed to and extending perpendicularly from said pole at the upper end thereof, said upper and lower support arms extending in the same plane of the pole axis and being parallel to and spaced apart from each other a distance at least equal to and approximately the same as the height of the boxes with lids thereon to be handled; and

a hook member rotatably aflixed to said pole adjacent the top thereof and below said upper support arm, said hook member defining a U-shaped portion extending parallel and adjacent said pole and adapted to receive the lip portion of the lid of a box whereby a box may be slid horizontally, and whereby after said hook member U-shaped portion receives the lip of a box lid said pole may be rotated to move said support arms to extend above and below the box whereby the box is securely grasped.

2. A box hook device according to claim 1 wherein said hook member is defined by a horizontal portion integral with said U-shaped portion, said horizontal portion having an opening therein; and

a retainer member extending into said pole through said opening in said hook member retaining said hook member rotatably to said pole.

3. A box hook device according to claim 2 wherein said upper support arm includes a downwardly extending leg portion and a horizontally extending portion parallel to said lower support arm, said downwardly extending leg portion being affixed to said pole, said horizontally extending leg portion extending over said horizontal portion of said hook member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Primary Examiner 

